Press Releases

Montgomery County Council Statement on the Events at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas

For Immediate Release: Sunday, January 16, 2022

"The Montgomery County Council stands in solidarity with the Jewish community and those who endured a 10-hour hostage situation in Colleyville, Texas at Congregation Beth Israel. We are thankful for the swift action taken by law enforcement and for their ongoing investigation of this attack. We also appreciate the efforts of our Montgomery County Police Department which has stepped up patrols at Jewish facilities across Montgomery County.

"Religious freedom is a fundamental right, and we cannot allow our houses of worship to become places of fear. Saturday's attack is yet another frightening and painful reminder of how important it is to combat and condemn antisemitism in all its forms.

"We must stand united against the rise of extremism across our nation, state and community. We encourage residents to remain vigilant and report all acts of hate. We continue our ongoing commitment to protecting all houses of worship in our community and our residents from acts of violence and terror."

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For information on reporting hate crimes and bias-related incidents visit https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/SAO/other/hatecrimes.html#Resources.

If you believe that a hate crime has occurred, please call 301-279-8000 or dial 911 in an emergency to report the incident to the Montgomery County Police Department immediately.

Release ID: 22-018
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884